Wilted Spinach Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is an easy-to-make delicious salad! The secret to this tender salad is the wilted spinach. When making this recipe the spinach comes in contact with the hot ingredients and it wilts and becomes tender and palatable. The best spinach leaves to use for this salad are the smallest, and, of course, the freshest.
I, personally, love using homemade vinaigrettes in my salads because it is easy to prepare. Lemon vinaigrette is one of my favorites. Once you start make your own dressings you will have a hard time going back to a bottled salad dressing from the store. Fresh dressings and vinaigrettes have so much more flavor it really makes this salad pop with flavor.
Please check out my favorite Lemon Vinaigrette Recipe that is not heated. More wonderful Salads and Salad Dressing Recipes.
- 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted*
- 6 cups (5-ounces) fresh spinach leaves, washed, dried, and chilled
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated granulated sugsugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
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Remove stems and veins from spinach and tear into bite-sized pieces; place spinach inlarge bowl.
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In a small frying pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add garlic, salt, pepper, and sugar; saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until garlic is slightly softened. Add lemon juice, stirring to combine.
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Pour warm vinaigrette over spinach and toss gently to wilt (when properly wilted, the leaf edges soften slightly, but the spinach retains some crunch). Toss in the toasted pine nuts.
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Serve immediately on individual serving plates.
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Makes 4 servings.
* To toast pine nuts: The nuts can burn quickly, so keep eye on the pan. Place nuts in dry skillet and toast them over very low dry skillet and toast them over very low heat, stirring or shaking the pan as needed until they're golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
** Choose spinach leaves that are crisp and have dark green with a nice fragrance. Avoid those that are limp, damaged, or spotted.